Judge tosses $50 million award in Vioxx case
NEW ORLEANS -- The $50 million compensatory damage award in a federal Vioxx case this month was "grossly excessive," and a new trial must be held to decide how much drugmaker Merck & Co. must pay a retired FBI agent who suffered a heart attack after taking the painkiller, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Local Notes
Democratic candidates have been invited to meet and greet voters and volunteers from the community. Food and beverages will be served.

Go & Do
TODAY
A free digital photography seminar will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Main branch library, 1960 N. Ponce de Leon Blvd. Call Pat Gaydos at 1 (386) 649-8566.

Neighbors: Back-to-school benefit
The Hastings Branch Library will host a back-to-school pancake breakfast from 6 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Johnny's Kitchen. Donation is $1 per pancake. All proceeds benefit the Hastings Friends of the Library.

Weather postpones tonight's concert
This week's edition of Concerts in the Plaza has been postponed due to expected weather from Hurricane Ernesto. The scheduled performers, Moderate Chop, will rescheduled for a later date.

Life in a Nutshell: A road trip with the boys
y brother is getting married in November, a date that seemed so long in coming (there were some who doubted it would ever happen) and now not far enough away. There's only so much time to prepare for a wedding, and never enough. So this past weekend, the groom and his wedding party -- his compatriot, George, and myself -- got serious about what we would wear and ventured south to Tampa for suit fitting.

Around Town
Classical music and dance
EMMA
concerts/performances in the Flagler College Auditorium, 14 Granada St., St. Augustine, 797-2800
EMMA is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to the appreciation of music and dance. A lecture series begins Oct. 3 and continues for five more weeks, with the last lecture on Nov. 21. The first performance of the 2006-07 season will be the Carmen Ballet at 8 p.m. Oct. 7. An Opening Night Gala will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Lightner Museum Casino. For information about the gala, call 471-8433. To buy tickets or subscriptions for the upcoming season, call 797-2800.

Hear songwriters after the art walk
Local songwriters will perform beginning at 8:30 tonight at Fisherman's Wharf Lounge at Santa Maria Restaurant, 135 Avenida Menendez, downtown St. Augustine near the marina.

Music Notes
Today and Saturday
Katherine Archer will play at 5 p.m. today and Jim Essery & Friends 9 p.m. today and Saturday at Milltop Tavern, 19 St. George St.. Call 829-2329.

A birds-eye view
Learn to identify song and wading bird species commonly seen in this area. A Florida park ranger will illustrate birding techniques for children ages 8-13 with activities along the banks of Pellicer Creek. Participants also will construct a wooden bird house to take home.

Gone to the dogs
Unlike the hot and humid "dog days" we are now experiencing, artist Jean Namiotka's paper mache sculptures of dogs bring delight to the viewer. Long and short haired, big and small, "The Dog Days of Summer" exhibit opens tonight at the P.A.St.A. Fine Art Gallery. The likenesses are so real you would expect these canine friends to bark or wag their tails.

Upcoming Events
Sept. 8: Make a Venetian Mask at 2:30 or 6 p.m. during a "paint date" at Cousart Studios Gallery of Fine Art and Photography, 62C Spanish St. Owner Christine Cousart will teach about the history of masks and instruct students on how best to create them. The masks will be featured during the October First Friday Art Walk. Cost is $30 per person; $50 per couple. Masks, a glass of wine, paint, decorations and instructions are included. Another class date will be Sept. 15. Call 826-3323.

Live & Local
Does your favorite musician perform at a location around town not listed in Out & About? Are you a musician who would like to be listed? Send an e-mail to renee.unsworth@staugustinerecord.com or call 819-3510.

Weekend and Labor Day events
Sept. 1: First Friday Art Walk runs from 5 to 9 p.m. (and sometimes later) at more than 20 participating art galleries in downtown St. Augustine. See new art exhibits, music, entertainment and refreshments. St. Augustine Sightseeing Trains and Old Town Trolley offer attendees a complimentary shutter service to several stops on the art walk. Call 829-0065 or go to staugustinegalleries.com.

At the Movies: capsule reviews of new films
'Crossover'
The one vaguely compelling element is the casting of Wayne Brady -- wholesome, smiling, all-around good guy Wayne Brady -- as a villain. Granted, as a former sports agent he's a slick, sharply dressed villain, but still. Definitely not a singing-and-dancing talk show host, which makes the role a surprising change of pace. And that's about the only surprise in "Crossover," a basketball movie that's chock full of ghetto cliches and which writer-director Preston A. Whitmore II whipped up in a style that can best be described as Short Attention Span Theater. Oh wait, here's something else that was unexpected: Whitmore manages to take the fantastic-looking, charismatic Anthony Mackie ("She Hates Me," "Million Dollar Baby") and drain him of all his natural magnetism, not just with flat writing but with production values that look and sound laughably low-budget. Mackie stars as Tech, a star of Detroit's underground street basketball world. Wesley Jonathan plays his best friend and teammate. PG-13 for sexual content and some language. 93 min. One star out of four.

Cannon Ball!
When a lighted slow match is touched to the 8-ounce black powder blank charge primer, the resultant roar is capable of sending a 6-pound iron ball the size of a baseball (had it actually been loaded) on a 1 -mile precision trajectory accurate enough "to hit a selected stripe on the lighthouse" approximately that distant.

Aviles Street Gallery
ill Puckett and his wife had a deadline to meet. Together they have spent the past few weeks cleaning, painting walls and putting in new floors and doors.

Happy Birthday St. Augustine
Put on your 16th-century party hats and help celebrate the 441st birthday of the City of St. Augustine. Named a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society, there is sure to be something for everyone to enjoy. Founded as a Spanish military base on Sept. 8, 1565, St. Augustine is the Nation's oldest continuously-occupied European settlement. By the time the English created their first settlement in 1607 at Jamestown, Va., St. Augustine had been a thriving city with several thousand residents for more than three decades.

Around Town: World Golf Hall of Fame
Mustang and Ford Stampede V
Saturday, Oct. 7
The Modern Mustangs of Jacksonville Club will hold its 5th annual car show on the Walk of Champions at World Golf Village from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See more than 40 years of Mustang history and other Ford cars and trucks. Registration will be from 7:30 to 10 a.m., with an awards ceremony at 3 p.m. Awards will be given for Best Engine Paint, Best Graphics, Best Interior, Peoples' Choice and Club Participation and Best in Show. Families can enjoy a raffle, an auction and a costume contest for children. All proceeds will benefit the Jacksonville Humane Society. For event information, call 940-4123. To register or for more information, go online at www.mmjax.com .

First Friday Art Walk is tonight
First Friday Art Walk is an art event that takes places in galleries throughout downtown St. Augustine from 5 to 9 p.m. the first Friday of each month. See new art by local, regional and national artists; hear live bands; and enjoy wine, cheese and other refreshments. Free trolley rides by St. Augustine Sightseeing Trains (the red train) and Old Town Trolley (the green train) will be available for art walk participants. The event is sponsored by Art Galleries of St. Augustine (AGOSA). Go to staugustinegalleries.com for information. Call Lynn at 829-0065.

Quick cooking: Caribbean chicken pasta salad
Here's a salad that would give the cook a break on one of those dog days of August, or any day when the kitchen doesn't exactly call you. It takes only about 30 minutes to prepare, on a grill of your choice.

Food bites
Cooking in Italy
NEW YORK -- Despite its name, the French Culinary Institute does not limit its range to the cooking of France.

Recipe Finder: Overnight coffee cake
Patricia Borsuk from Linthicum Heights, Md., was looking for a recipe she once had from the newspaper for an Overnight Coffee Cake. The cake was assembled the night before and refrigerated, then baked the next morning.

Easy entertaining with Turkish meze
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- At the recent wedding of my friends Huma Gruaz and Bjorn Rebney, the Four Seasons in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul served a selection of meze (appetizers) as part of an exquisite buffet under the stars, on the roof of the hotel.

Ravioli!
Leave the charcoal and lighter fluid to the neighbors this Labor Day weekend and try making stuffed pastas. Although the thought may seem a little far fetched, ravioli isn't near as difficult as you might think to prepare.

South points way for rising U.S. obesity rates
The United States continues to get fatter, with Mississippi and other Southern states leading the way, according to a report issued Tuesday by the advocacy group Trust for America's Health.

Briefs
Seeking to boost blood donations
While most young adults can name the most recent winner of "American Idol" and 41 percent know Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie named their baby Shiloh, only 14 percent know that one blood donation can save three lives, claims the Ad Council.

Health proxy: Take my spouse, please
Not So Fast -- Don't assume your spouse wants you to make medical decisions he or she can't make. When asked to select a health care proxy -- someone designated to make medical decisions for a person who is incapacitated -- one-third of married respondents chose someone other than their spouse, according to a study published on the Journal of General Internal Medicine's Web site.

Suspect in school shooting obsessed with Columbine
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. -- A teenager accused of killing his father and opening fire outside his former high school was obsessed with school massacres and sent e-mail to the principal of Columbine High School in Colorado warning of his attack, authorities said Thursday.

Rising costs trigger price increases
CINCINNATI -- While prices at the gas pumps get a lot of attention, other increases are pulling at Americans' pocketbooks from a variety of directions.

Lockheed Martin to build moon rocket
WASHINGTON -- NASA on Thursday gave a multibillion-dollar contract to build a manned lunar spaceship to Lockheed Martin Corp., the aerospace leader that usually builds unmanned rockets.

Esther Kramer impacted, inspired lives
Longtime resident Esther Kramer, who marked her 99th birthday nearly six years ago by climbing to the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse, died Tuesday at her home at the age of 104.

Political rally set for tonight
The St. Augustine Record Political Rally is tonight in conjunction with the St. Augustine Shores Civic Association Candidates Night at the Riverview Club, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Coast Guard captain relieved of duty
The captain of a Coast Guard cutter was temporarily relieved of duty following the deaths of two crew members -- including Lt. Jessica Hill, former St. Augustine resident -- during a dive in the Arctic Ocean, officials said Wednesday.

Sisters face drug charges
Two sisters -- one a St. Augustine parking meter enforcement employee -- have been arrested on a variety of drug charges following a search of a house by Putnam County Sheriff's detectives.

Sanchez balances work, campaign
Ron Sanchez of St. Augustine, seeking the District 2 County Commission seat now held by incumbent Commissioner Karen Stern, doesn't spend all his time working or speaking at candidate forums.

Despite Ernesto's downgrade, winds and rain still expected today
With Ernesto downgraded to tropical depression status, rain and gusty winds are predicted to continue through this morning, according to the National Weather Service. Some flooding in downtown St. Augustine is expected as Ernesto heads offshore and then north toward the Carolinas.

Wiles wants to bring fresh ideas
Marilyn Wiles, 61, thinks St. Johns County schools need a leader who will think ahead and act to make sure the future of the community isn't harmed by growth.

Correction
Not an incumbent -- Joseph A. Ciriello, a candidate for the St. Augustine Airport Authority, Group 1, is not a member of the board. He is a former member. His status was incorrect in Saturday's primarily Speaking section.

Weather Why's
Why has the hurricane season been so quiet?
It's still premature to consider this season to have been quiet, since we are just now approaching the historical peak of the season. Even so, in light of the fact that we've had only 5 named storms through the end of August and only 1 hurricane, it does raise the question of what has changed since last year.

Stern: A core belief in service to others
When Karen Stern was a young girl, she was a little jealous of the exceptional talents displayed by her two older sisters, one an artist and the other a brainy student.

Elections fraud complaint filed
A library employee has filed a complaint against the St. Johns County Library system director, saying she coerced employees to sign a petition supporting incumbent County Commission candidate Karen Stern.

Police Report:
PONTE VEDRA BEACH
Man charged in forgery: A 25-year-old South Florida man was arrested on charges of forgery and giving a false name to a law enforcement officer early Wednesday morning.

Candidate's last hurrah: 'Vote for me!'
In what was probably the last meet-the-candidate forum before the Primary Election, the St. Augustine Shores Civic Association and The St. Augustine Record hosted 17 incumbents and challengers Thursday at the Riverview Club.

Bonzolla N. Stroman
Bonzolla N. Stroman, 84, of St. Augustine, died Aug. 27, 2006, at his home. Mrs. Stroman was a native of St. Petersburg and resided in St. Augustine for more than 60 years. Mrs. Stroman was a licensed practical nurse and had worked for Flagler Hospital for 30 years and was the proprietor of Stroman's BBQ. Mrs. Stroman was a member of St. Paul AME Church, the Willing Workers Club, OES-Queen Isabella Chapter, Council On Aging, American Legion Post No. 194 Auxillary and various church clubs.

John Paul Cenite
John Paul Cenite, age 71, of St. Augustine, died on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2006, at his residence. He was born in Pottsville, Pa., and was a longtime resident of New Jersey, before moving to St. Augustine in 1986. Mr. Cenite worked as machinist for Stryker Machine Co. in Trenton, N.J., for many years. He was a member of Corpus Christi Catholic Church.

Coleman Eugene Hughes
Coleman Eugene "Gene" Hughes, 62, of Pensacola went to be with the Lord Monday, Aug. 28, 2006. He was a native of Marianna, Fla. He was a former resident of St. Augustine and a resident of Pensacola for the past five years. He was a member of the St. Andrews United Methodist Church. Gene was a retired residential instructor with the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.

Hazel Storms
Hazel Storms Dale, born Feb. 10, 1914, grew up in Detroit. During the Great Depression, when her father lost his job at Ford Motors, she supported her family as a secretary. She married Howard C. Dale on June 5, 1937 and transferred to Columbus, Ohio. Their daughter, Linda Ruth, was born Sept. 3, 1941. In Columbus, Hazel studied French at Ohio State University, volunteered at the Columbus Art Gallery, played bridge and with Howard became an accomplished ballroom dancer. She wrote jingles for contests and won several prizes. After Howard retired, they moved to Bellair Beach and traveled the world. Hazel loved traveling and when she was 82 went to China with her daughter. She and Howard came to Penney Farms in 1985 and loved the friendly community. She said they combed Florida for a retirement community and chose Penney Retirement Community because the people had "smiles on their faces." They volunteered at the Beyer House and she enjoyed square dancing, bridge and attending the Jacksonville Symphony. Hazel also loved their summer cottage at Mullett Lake, Mich., where they were known as great fishermen. She first went to Mullett Lake in 1930 and totaled 76 summers at their rustic cabin.

Lessie Mae Brooks
Lessie Mae "Mimi" Brooks, 83, of St. Augustine, died Sunday, Aug. 27, 2006, at Flagler Hospital. She was born in Pearson, Ga., and had lived most of her life in Jacksonville before moving to St. Augustine in 2002. Mrs. Brooks was a homemaker and a longtime member of Riverside Gardens Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School and had served as church treasurer and WMU President. After moving to St. Augustine, she became a member of Anastasia Baptist Church.

Naguib Mahfouz, winner of Nobel Prize for literature, dies at 94
CAIRO, Egypt -- Naguib Mahfouz, whose novels about the struggles of workaday Egyptians drew worldwide acclaim and made him the only Arab to win the Nobel Prize for literature, died of complications from a bleeding ulcer Wednesday at a Cairo hospital. He was 94.

James Donald Long
James Donald "Don" Long, 65, St. Augustine, died Aug. 29, 2006 at The Pavilion at Shands Hospital Jacksonville after a very brief illness. He was born in Chipley, and had resided in St. Augustine since 1980, moving here from the Macclenny area.

James Donald Long
James Donald "Don" Long, 65, St. Augustine, died Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2006, at The Pavilion at Shands Hospital Jacksonville after a very brief illness. He was born in Chipley, Fla., and had resided in St. Augustine since 1980, moving here from the Macclenny area. Don served his country honorably in the U.S. Navy from 1958-1964. He served on the U.S.S. Roosevelt Carrier and he was involved in the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Don was employed as general super-intendent and vice president of Jerry's Johns Construction Company and Wildwood Water Company. He was of the Baptist faith.

George 'Chicken' Moore
George "Chicken" Moore, 72, of Hastings, died Aug. 27, 2006, at Flagler Hospital. Moore was a native of Sycamore, Ga., and had resided in Hastings for the past 50 years. Moore was a retired labor contractor. He was of the Baptist faith.

Editorial: Give where you live
The United Way of St. Johns County is kicking off its fundraising effort this year, as in every year, with a goal to make more money and serve more agencies and people than ever before. This drive is significant in that it represents the agency's 50th anniversary of doing the good things it continually does for the people of St. Johns County.

Letter: Not a bright idea!
Editor: Pay attention all SJC residents and businesses; this is a beauty. Soon the light bulb law enforcers will be heading your way.

Letter: Don't park carts in handicapped spots
Editor: The handicapped people in this area must be a lot stronger and healthier than the non-handicapped. That must be the reason that the non-handicapped shoppers are constantly leaving their shopping carts in the handicapped parking spots (or the hash-marked areas adjacent to those spots) instead of returning them to the cart area or to the store front. I guess the handicapped people are more physically able to return those carts than are the people who leave them there or is it possible that the handicapped just enjoy returning carts for others?

Letter: The carpetbaggers killing our county
Editor: I am writing to ask the voting public to ask why the taxing authority is taxing the public beyond its means, as well as finding "loopholes'' in appraising property that opens doors for development magnates that appear suddenly with a (hand full of "Howdy'' and a mouth full of "Howdy do!'')

Letter: Doesn't trust touchscreen voting
Editor: I have decided not to vote on the new electronic touchscreen voting machines that are available at the early-voting sites in St. Johns County. I was not aware that our optical scan machines, using a paper ballot, would not be available for voters who wanted to vote early, until I read the article in The Record Aug. 19. I had thought that the touchscreen machines, by new state statute, were for handicapped persons.

Letter: Proctor serves us well
Editor: Last Tuesday, the St. Johns County School Board met with Dr. William Proctor, who represents District 20 in the Florida House. The meeting was at Dr. Proctor's request so that he could become aware of the concerns and priorities of our school board ahead of the coming Legislative Session.

Letter: Naughty boys and mud fights
Editor: My, my. It must be the political campaigning season. All the naughty, nasty little political "boys" and their friends are busy playing in the mud.

It's never too late to choose a family faith community
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Cub Scout troop was swirling around the front door of the old California mission. They were there to satisfy a badge requirement but were acting like it was a trip to the amusement park. They moved inside, a vibrating mass of boy energy.

Trinity parish offering singles Bible study
Trinity Episcopal Church, corner of King and St. George streets, will use the Serendipity Bible Study series to open the newest Sunday school class to both the church's single members and to any singles in the community who may be interested in participating.

College students' religious outlets grow
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- As summer break comes to an end and students head back to institutions of higher learning, religion is becoming an increasingly significant part of campus life.

Opinion: Mel Gibson isn't the only sinner
Late last week I phoned the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, trying to schedule an interview about l'affaire Gibson. "We're all Melled out around here," the weary press aide said, "but we're happy to help."

Matsui works out with Yankees
NEW YORK (AP) -- Hideki Matsui took batting practice Wednesday for the first time since the New York Yankees left fielder broke his left wrist in May.

AL Capsules
NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez snapped out of a 1-for-24 slump with three hits, including his 27th home run, backing Randy Johnson and leading the New York Yankees over the Tigers 6-4 Thursday.

Still a Good One
Bartram Trail and St. Augustine High have a rivalry that differs from most.

Boston College 31, Cent. Michigan 24
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Matt Ryan threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns and Brian Toal ended Central Michigan's final scoring threat with a late interception as Boston College held on for a 31-24 victory on Thursday night.

Athletics 7, Red Sox 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Barry Zito outpitched Curt Schilling on a day the Boston ace became the 14th pitcher with 3,000 career strikeouts, Mark Ellis and Bobby Kielty each hit solo home runs and the Oakland Athletics beat the Red Sox 7-2 Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

Column: This hall of fame honors only good guys
The mindless updates about Terrell Owens' practice habits, the youtube.com replays of a 12-year-old swearing on national television at the Little League World Series, and the daily doping blotter is enough to make you wonder if the good people in sports have been kidnapped.

U.S. 85, Germany 65
SAITAMA, Japan (AP) --So far, no one at the world championships has figured out how to counter Team USA's superior skills, athleticism and depth. Germany provided a clue Wednesday night.

Miami counting on stable of unproven backs
MIAMI -- Tyrone Moss came out of Pompano Beach Ely High the most prolific running back in Broward County history. Now a senior at the University of Miami, he still awaits his first 1,000-yard season.

Pigskin Extra
Staff Predictions
Justin Barney
Sure, SAHS struggled in its opener to move the ball. And yes, those were boos coming from some of the home crowd. But I don't see a repeat here, even against a good Bartram defense.

Non-Chase drivers have to find something else to do
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) --Greg Biffle briefly flirted with the Nextel Cup championship last season, while teammate Carl Edwards made a surprising push toward his own title. Although both fell short, they started this season prepared --and perhaps even predicted-- to finish the job.

Iranian-American woman to be next space tourist
MOSCOW -- As high-tech entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari rose to wealth and prominence after immigrating to the United States from Iran as a teen, she never lost her childhood dream of being an astronaut. She often spoke of watching "Star Trek" as a girl in pre-revolutionary Iran, of staring at the nighttime sky and dreaming big dreams.

Report: Situation still dire for displaced Zimbabweans
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- A new report by human rights activists Wednesday paints a grim picture of life in Zimbabwe, more than a year after authorities demolished urban houses, shelters and market stalls in a campaign called "Operation Drive Out Trash."

Defiant Iran keeps enriching uranium
VIENNA, Austria -- A defiant Iran kept on enriching uranium up to two days before the U.N. Security Council's deadline for Tehran to freeze such activity or face the threat of sanctions, U.N. and European officials said.

Fox ready for most important speech
MEXICO CITY -- With only three months left in office and his political standing battered, President Vicente Fox is but a shadow of the force he was when elected six years ago with the promise of bringing dynamic reform to Mexico.

66 killed in Iraq explosions
BAGHDAD -- A string of closely timed explosions killed at least 66 people and wounded 255 in a Shiite Muslim area of Baghdad on Thursday night, one of the deadliest attacks in the capital in months despite the launch of a new security plan to stanch the sectarian carnage.

Iran defies U.N. Security Council
TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran defied a U.N. deadline Thursday to stop enriching uranium, opening the door for sanctions, but U.S. and other officials said no action would be sought before a key European diplomat meets with Tehran's atomic chief next week to seek a compromise.

U.S. still destroying Iraqi munitions
WASHINGTON -- When U.S. soldiers invaded Iraq in 2003, they discovered huge ammunition dumps but left many of them unsecured. Today, American explosives experts are still destroying weapons stockpiles hidden around the country, and materials looted from them are still being used for roadside bombs, the No. 1 killer of U.S. troops.

Hurricane John lashes Mexico
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico -- Hurricane John lashed tourist resorts with heavy winds and rain Wednesday as the dangerous storm marched up Mexico's Pacific coast, and forecasters predicted its center would brush close to land before nicking the tip of Baja California and heading out to sea.

U.N. approves peacekeeping force, but Sudan rejects it
WASHINGTON -- The United Nations Security Council Thursday approved a long-sought resolution that would place an expanded peacekeeping force in Sudan's troubled Darfur region under U.N. authority, even as the government appeared to have begun a new offensive against rebel forces.

Israeli troops leave Gaza City neighborhood
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli soldiers searching for tunnels and explosives withdrew from the outskirts of Gaza City on Thursday, ending a five-day operation that Palestinians said left 20 people dead and heavily damaged houses, streets and farmlands.

Israel rebuffs call to end blockade of Lebanon
BEIRUT, Lebanon -- No commercial ships have been sailing into Lebanon's harbors, and no cargo planes have been landing at Beirut's airport, leaving the country reliant on a thin stream of aid supplies to keep running amid Israel's more than 50-day-old blockade.

Violence kills at least 66 in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The top U.S. commander in Iraq expressed optimism Wednesday that Iraqi forces are making enough progress to provide their own security within 18 months. But violence showed no sign of abating, with 66 people killed nationwide, including 24 in a Baghdad market bombing.